Early US Women’s History

Catalog description

This graduate class introduces students to the historiographical debates surrounding American women’s history from colonial times through Reconstruction. It is designed to ground students specializing in women’s history in their sub-field, but also to acquaint American history students generally with the recent debates and issues in the field that will assist them in exam preparation and in preparing for future lecture and class work as instructors. Each week will focus on one general topic, exposing students to the range of literature on the given topic. There will be a mix of “classic” works with newer ones. As a graduate-level course, this is a reading intensive course, with at least one monograph and several articles assigned weekly. Students are asked to: attend each seminar; prepare for each class by thoroughly reading all assignments; engage in vigorous discussion; prepare book reviews and substantial historiographical essays on the themes, issues and major works encompassed in one of our week’s readings. Students may also present a short oral report to the class on the topic. Students will also complete a take-home final exam. (2 to